PISCATAWAY — After nearly two decades on the job in college football, the most cherished year of Henry Baker Jr.’s coaching career remains the one spent on a high school basketball sideline.
Hired last month as Rutgers cornerbacks coach, Baker Jr. shares the same name as his late father, a legendary boys basketball coach at Paterson Eastside — the proud program that suddenly finds itself at the center of turmoil long after the Baker family was in charge.
“Yes, it’s a game that we play, but I believe coaching is much more about the relationships and development of young men,” Baker Jr. said. “That was something that my dad always did and something that I hold really, really dear to me.
“(I have) strong feelings about why you get into this profession. It’s not about the money. It’s not about the glory. It’s not about the fame, or even your own name. It’s about can you take a young man from where he is and help him grow and develop to a point where he wants to be? A lot of that I got from my father.”
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Baker Sr. retired in 2007 — eight years before his death — after four decades as an educator in the Paterson school district. In his final year as varsity coach in the 1990s, he had one son coaching the junior varsity team and Henry Jr. coaching the freshman team.
“That was another sport,” the younger Baker said, “but that was probably the most special time that I’ve had as a coach. All three generations there together, just coaching and having a good time. That was his last year, so that year in particular was very, very special.”
Paterson Eastside suspended coach Juan Griles and top assistant Alberto Maldanado after a NJ Advance Media investigation revealed that six players were living in a two-bedroom apartment owned by Griles. All six listed either Griles or Maldanado as their legal guardian.
The school district, NJSSIA and Division of Child Protection and Permanency are investigating. The team still is playing games but awaiting a ruling on its eligibility for the state tournament.
Baker Jr., 40, said he is aware of the story but had “no reaction whatsoever” to the current state of the program closely tied to his family. Baker Sr. won more than 300 games at Eastside over two stints, the first of which was in the 1970s.
“What my father did for over 40-plus years and the impact that he had on young men is really what drew me to this profession,” Baker Jr. said. “I knew at some point I’d hang up the cleats, and when I did that I knew I was going to sit there and pick up a whistle.”
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As a two-sport star at Eastside whose first love was basketball, Baker Jr. played college football at Maryland from 1994-97. He has coached at his high school and college alma maters as well as at a Florida high school and East Stroudsburg University.
Before replacing Aaron Henry at Rutgers, Baker Jr. spent six seasons as cornerbacks coach at Delaware. He still maintains relationships with coaches up and down the East Coast, but one coach always will be his greatest mentor.
“He has been the ultimate influence over me in every aspect,” Baker Jr. said of his father. “Obviously being his son and then I played for him and having the opportunity to coach with him, just the conversations about coaching in general. Those are still things that I hold very, very dear to me.”
Ryan Dunleavy may be reached at rdunleavy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rydunleavy. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.
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